Shield for the protection of ships



V w. L."MABT |N. SHIELD 'FOR THE'PROTECTION 0F SHIPS. APPLICATION FILEDOCT, 19 1918.

1 1.3 -1 ,0 2, Patented July '22, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

guy. i.

'IIIIIflIII/IIIIIIIIIIIIII V as zaflmwm,

THE COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH 00., WASHINGTON, D.. c.

W. L. MARTIN. SHIELD FOR THE PROTECTION OF SHIPS.

AP'PLICATION- FILED OCT- 19.1918.

' Patented July 22, 1919.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2 gwqenfoz ritzy s a ns an on l i winLIAi/i L. MAR rIN,OFQBOYNE cItrY, MICHIGAN.

To aZZw/wm it ma concern Be it knownthat I, WILLIAM L. MARTIN, a citizenof theUnited States, residing at Boyne City, in the county of Charlevoixand State of Michigan, have invented new and useful Improvements inshields for the Pro tection' of Ships, of which thefollowing is aspecification T My invention relates designed as a shield or aguardforthe protection of ships and other boats or vessels from destructionby torpedoes firedfrom submarines, r

-Th main object of this invention is to 2 0 7 vide a fioating boomiwithaprotectingshield v coupled together and securedto the side of providesimple,- practical and eflicient means suitably secured to the sidesofasliip or other boat, inorderto arrest a torpedo, and prevent'itscontact with the body or hull of the vessel.

Another object ofthe invention is to -prosecured thereto, said'shielddepending a sufficient distance below the hoom'and from the sides of aship to properlyprotect the hull of'the ship, and built in sectionssuitably the ship by means of a bracket or arms hinged to the top of theboom, whereby the shield is held or retained at a suitable distance fromthe side of the ship to-prevent its pounding or contact with the sidesthereof, the whole adapted'to' be towed by a line'or 7 cable suitablysecured to the bow ofthe ship.

A further -object ofmy invention is to furnish a novelmeans ofprotecting ships from destruction by torpedoes, by utilization of afioat witha shield secured toand suspended from said float, designed tobe coupled together in a string or train, suitably attached to the sideof thesh'ip with an arm or bracket and drawn-or towed by a cable,adapted to be used to advantage in the shorterruns in the danger zone,'andit may be :used in longer or more extended runs outside of thedanger zone.

The foregoing and such other objects as may appear from the ensuingdescription are attained by the combination, construction andarrangement of the parts hereinafter more fully described andillustrated in p the accompanying drawings, and particularly pointed outin the claims appended hereto, it being understood that slight changesin the preciseform and construction may be resorted to without departing"from the spirit or sac p Specification of Letters Patent. Pat nt July22, 1919 1s r Application filed October 19, 1918. Seria1 N0.258,771.

rificing any of the advantages of the lnventlon.

In the accompanying drawings which form a part of the specification itwill be seen that i Figure l, is a side elevation of the deviceembodylngmy invention, showing it applied to theside of a ship orother vessel. toa device especially device showing it attached to one the hull oftheship or vessel:

Fig. 2, is a transverse sectional view of the side of Fig.3, is asideelevatioii-of one of the shields secured to the float and detachedployed to designate corresponding parts throughout the several figuresof the drawings. 1 i

, ln' carrying out my invention the device is shownas applied to onlyone side of thehull vessel, and l the bracket arms "pivotally and.removably secured in 1 any suitable manner to said hull above the waterline, theinner end 2, of each arm being preferablysecured to anieyebolt3," firmly secured to the hull sothat the bracket may be swung in anup .ward and inward direction when desired, the outer ends 4:, of thebracketarm's being suitably hinged at 5 to a hollow metallic preferablysomewhat spherical, and made of sheet steel, which if desired,ma'y bestrengthened by cross rods or a light frame secured within the float.The top portion of the float is provided with an angle iron 7, forstrengthening and stifi'ening said portion, and to the bottom portion 8of the float a shield 9 is suitably secured and suspended therefrom to asufficient distance below the water line to protect the hull fromcontact with submarine torpedoes and preferably consists of a series ofsteel bars or plates 10, or wood slats covered with steel, suitablysecured to each other and. to the bottom. porof a ship, butit will beunderstood that it inaiy be secured to either or both sides of the hul.

A-designatestheihull of a ship or other float 6 of any suitable .orldesirable shape,

tion'of the'float by fienible wire cables 11',

thereby forminga flexible shield, andthe front and rear end portion ofeach "sideof each float is flattened at 12 for thepurpose of reducingtheir resistance while being towed along with the ship. V

It will be understood that these shields are built in sections, eachprovided with and securedto a float, and are coupled together in anysuitable manner, in a line or like a train of cars from the bow to thestern of the ship, and to-the foremost float the front end portion 13,is provided with an angle iron 14, adapted to strengthen andstifl'en thesame,to which angle iron 14: is suitably secured a towing cable '15, thelatter being secured inany suitable manner to the bow of the ship,whereby the series of shields of plates or barslO by coupled togethermay be readily towed along I with the movement of the ship.' 7

The wire cable 11, is secured to the series such like equivalent 16.

' claim and desire to secure by Letters-Pat- It: will be readilyperceived that the bracket arms may be, provided with means securedthereto whereby the said arms may be swung upward and inward so thatwhen desired the shields may be raised and adjusted to rest against theside of the ship, substantially above the water line. i

Having described my invention, what I i a ship, metallic floatsprovidedwith a reincomprising 'a' plurality of bracket arms,

forced upper portion to which each end of each bracket arm is'hingedlysecured, a shield composedrof a seriesof horizontally V 7arranged slats flexiblyfsecured together and suspended 'fromthe bottomportion o'feach float, and a towing cable secured tothe front end of theforemost float and .tothe bow of theship. 1 j device of the character,described each of said bracket arms being pivotally secured intermediateits length to the hull of means of staples or :a ship,aplurality ofhollow metallic floats each having; a reinforced upper portion to Vwhich" each end" of jeach bracket arm 1s ries of horizontally disposedslats suspended from the .bottomportionof each'Qfloa-t, aplura'lity ofperpendicularly disposed; flexible means-for,securing the said slatstogether,

a-nd'a towing cable s'ecured'to' the front end of the foremost float andthe boW of the ship.

comprising a "pluralitygof bracket arms, each of said bracketarmsbeing'pivotally ,each float having an angle iron reinforcement at itsupper portion to wlnch'eachend 6'0 3. A device of the characterdescribedof each bracket arm ishingedlv connectech'n a shield composedof a series of horizontally; disposed slats suspended from the bottom Vofeachfloat, a plurality of perpendicularly disposed flexible wirecables for-"flexiblyse curing said slats together, and a towing cablesecured to the front end ofthe fore-x most float andthe bow of the ship.

4. A device'rofv he character described comprising a plurality1ofbracket arms, each of said bracket arms being pivotally securedintermediate itslengthtothe hull of:

fa ship, a plurality of .metallic' floats having any angle ironireinforcement at the upper arm is hingedly connected, each: float havingshield composed of a seriesofhorizontally pluralityl of perpendicularlydisposed flez'zi portion towhich eachend'of each bracket blewire cablesconnecting'each of the slats together, and a towing cable connected tothe-front endof theforemostjfloat and the bowof theship. .7 o i i Intestimony whereof I havehereunto set my hand in presence of twosubscribing witne'sses.

, WILLI AM 'L. A T

Witnesses: I I i i DELLA MATER,

, d0. N. SPELTZ;

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, adriress i ngthe Commissioner of Patents, a r c Washington, 1).0.

